A young boy, looking no more than six or seven years old, stared in disbelief at his reflection. He reached out a hesitant hand to pinch his own cheek.
With a sharp intake of breath, he muttered, "So, it isn't a dream." One moment, he was in a desperate, life-or-death escape; the next, he had awakened here. Was this another transmigration?
The memories belonging to this body felt like a shattered mirror, fragmented and chaotic. After a long period of contemplation, he finally pieced together his current identity.
"Uzumaki Kyuushin… is that my name now?"
He was in the Land of Whirlpools, in the village of Uzushiogakure, the place he had apparently lived since birth.[1]
The Uzumaki clan? A name synonymous with formidable sealing jutsu and immense vitality. There was no mistaking it. He was in the world of Naruto.
Uzumaki Kyuushin released a long, slow breath. Compared to his previous transmigration, the world of Naruto, while undeniably high-risk, was a significant improvement.
"From what I can gather from these memories, I was brought from Uzushiogakure to Konohagakure, just like Uzumaki Kushina, as a potential candidate for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," he mused. A flicker of relief cut through his confusion. "That's for the best. If I had remained in Uzushiogakure, I might not have survived its eventual destruction. For now, at least my life isn't in immediate danger."
Just as Kyuushin began to process his situation, the door to his room slid open with a sudden clatter. He jumped, startled, and spun around to face the entrance.
A figure stood there with the clan's signature long, red hair and adorably chubby cheeks. It could only be Uzumaki Kushina.[4]
At the sight of her, Kyuushin's tense nerves began to relax. Before he could utter a word, Kushina rushed toward him, her voice a torrent of words. "Grandma Mito said you were awake, but I couldn't believe it! Are you really alright?"
As she reached his side, she extended a hand to feel his forehead.
Kyuushin instinctively flinched away. He then watched as Kushina's eyes welled up, and large tears began to stream down her face.
She clutched at the fabric of his clothes and began to wail, leaving Kyuushin feeling completely helpless.
He recalled from the jumbled memories that he and Kushina were close kin, having grown up together as if they were siblings. Their bond was deep, and they had traveled to Konoha together. During that journey, they were ambushed, and Kyuushin had suffered a head injury from the fallout of the battle. He had been unconscious for more than two days. Even Konoha's skilled medical-nin had said his fate was uncertain, a prognosis that had left her terrified.
Seeing him finally awake, the dam of her pent-up anxiety and fear broke.
Kyuushin did his best to console her, and after a long while, Kushina's sobs gradually subsided. Then, as if a thought suddenly struck her, she slapped her forehead. "Oh! Grandma Mito told me to bring you to her as soon as you woke up. I almost forgot, you know!"
Although he knew from his fragmented memories that Kushina had a verbal tic when she got excited, hearing it in person still brought a smile to Kyuushin's face.
"Pfft, alright, let's go then." Kyuushin was also intensely curious about Uzumaki Mito. The wife of the First Hokage, a legendary kunoichi who had single-handedly suppressed the Nine-Tails for decades, and a princess of their own Uzumaki clan. He wondered what she was truly like.
The daylight was warm and bright, illuminating a scene brimming with the vitality of spring. Uzumaki Mito was in her garden, enjoying the sun and admiring the cherry blossoms. She had sensed Kyuushin's awakening and had sent Kushina to fetch him.
Shortly after Kushina departed, an Anbu operative appeared, kneeling silently on one knee.
"Have you discovered the source of the attack on Kushina and the boy?" Mito asked, her voice calm.
"Yes. After repeated confirmations from the Hokage and the Anbu, we can confirm the attack was not the result of an information leak from within Konoha."
Mito murmured thoughtfully.
"The information must have been leaked from Uzushiogakure," the Anbu continued, pausing for a moment. "The head of the Uzumaki clan also mentioned in his reply to the Hokage that the number of spies sent to their village from various nations has been increasing in recent years. This incident was likely planned by foreign operatives who stumbled upon the news by chance. It seems they didn't know the full story; otherwise, the attacking force would have been far larger than two small squads."
Mito nodded at the report and dismissed the operative.
"I feel a storm brewing on the horizon," Mito whispered to herself. In the next instant, her expression softened into a kind smile. The two children had arrived.
Thanks to Kushina's ceaseless chatter along the way, Kyuushin managed to get a basic understanding of their current circumstances. They were staying in the ancestral home of the Senju clan. After most of the Senju abandoned their clan name, only Uzumaki Mito, the widow of Senju Hashirama, remained. Also living in the vast residence were Hashirama's two grandchildren, Tsunade and Nawaki, though one was away on a mission and the other was visiting relatives. The large mansion felt desolate, attended only by a few servants.
Their selection as candidates for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki meant they possessed an exceptionally strong Uzumaki lineage. Furthermore, they shared a genuine kinship with Mito, which was why they had been arranged to stay with her upon arriving in Konoha.
After walking past elegant pavilions, terraces, and sculpted rock gardens, Kyuushin finally saw the renowned kunoichi of his clan, seated in a pavilion. Her hair was a deep red, her face lined with the wrinkles of age, and her hair was tied in a simple bun. At first glance, she didn't look like a formidable ninja at all, but more like a gentle, grandmotherly figure from next door.
Mito waved warmly to them. Kyuushin and Kushina exchanged a look before walking forward together.
As they drew near, Mito placed a hand on each of their heads, stroking their hair gently. She carefully turned Kyuushin's head to examine his injury, and only after confirming he seemed well did she ask, "Does your head still hurt? Do you feel any discomfort anywhere else?"
Kyuushin felt a little awkward. Possessing the mind of an adult, he wasn't accustomed to such intimate gestures. He could only reply, "Lady Mito, I feel fine."
Mito chuckled softly. "Don't be so formal. You can call me Grandma, just as Kushina does. Your own grandfather used to call me his older sister."
Kyuushin promptly corrected himself, "Grandma Mito."
A joyful smile spread across Mito's face. At her age, the simple blessing of seeing the young descendants of her clan was a source of great happiness.
The three of them chatted about the state of their clan, with Mito mostly asking questions and Kushina providing the answers, as Kyuushin's mind was still processing his new reality.
"Before you left," Mito began, her gaze thoughtful, "what did your elders tell you about your journey here?"
Kyuushin's mind searched for an answer, but Kushina, ever straightforward, replied first. "They didn't say anything special, just that we were coming to Konoha as exchange students to attend school."
Kyuushin also recalled the moments before his departure. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now he remembered the complex emotions swirling in his grandfather's eyes. As a clan elder, his grandfather surely knew the true purpose of their trip to Konoha. It was a necessary, if difficult, measure to maintain the vital relationship with their allies.
He sighed inwardly, but then another memory surfaced. He spoke up, "My grandfather did say something. He said the camellias back home are blooming beautifully this year, and he hopes to have the chance to admire them with you again, Grandma, just like when you were children."
Mito's expression faltered for a fraction of a second. "Did your grandfather truly say that?"
Kyuushin sensed something was slightly off, but his grandfather had indeed given him that specific message to deliver in person. "Yes, he did," he affirmed.
Kushina, completely unsuspecting, asked innocently, "How long has it been since you were last home, Grandma Mito?"
Mito's thoughts were racing, but her face betrayed nothing. She merely sighed with a hint of melancholy. "I have been in the Land of Fire for several decades now. Ever since marrying Hashirama, I have not had a chance to return to our clan."
With that, she skillfully changed the subject. "Since your elders said you are here to study, I have already made the arrangements with the Academy. Your classes will begin tomorrow."